Alcatel Lucent

Jean-Francois Rey

Jacques Litteaut

Stephane Coulon

Stéphane Coulon

The invention concerns a conference bridge server () for establishing a conference telephone call, and a corresponding method and a computer program product. The conference bridge server () comprises input and output means () for a plurality of communication connections connecting conference terminals (to) with the conference bridge server () and a conference core () for distributing input signals from conference terminals (to) to at least some of the remaining conference terminals (to). The conference bridge server () comprises means for issuing a special address to be utilized, by one or more participants (to) at a first location () using a common conference phone (), to connect one or more laptop computers (to) as additional conference terminals (to). Said conference core () is programmed to distribute, in said conference call, input signals from conference terminals (to) connected via said special address to conference terminals () assigned to other participants () at one or more other locations (). At the same time, said conference core () is programmed to redirect output signals destined for conference terminals (to) connected via said special address to said common conference phone ().

Conference bridge server

To access a communication managed by a host communicating entity between participant communicating entities including the host communicating entity via a packet network (RP), a third-party communicating entity transmits a message (MI) to the host communicating entity, which message comprises at least one parameter (PM) associated with an identifier of at least one participant communicating entity. The third-party entity's access to a peer-to-peer communication established between the host entity and a participant entity may create a conference between the three entities. The third-party entity's access to a conference communication may cause a participant to be added to the existing conference. The host communicating entity applies a restrictive policy on mixing communication flows exchanged between the communicating entities as a function of the parameter and the identifier of the participant communicating entity associated with the parameter.

Establishment of a conference with a communication flow mixing policy

The invention concerns a method of setting up a call-back to a caller in a packet-based telecommunications network, and a terminal and a media server to execute this method. The call-back is initiated by a user receiving a media stream. The user sets up a packet-based connection to a media server and receives the media stream from the media server. After choosing by the user to call back the caller, the media server generates a cookie with data defining a state of the media stream and sends the cookie to the user. The user initiates the call-back to the caller independently of the media server. After termination of the call-back, the data defining the state of the media stream are sent to the media server and are used to resume the transmission of the media stream to the user from a state following the state defined by the data.

Method of setting up a call-back

The invention concerns a method of setting up a call-back () to a caller () in a packet-based telecommunications network, and a terminal and a media server () to execute this method. The call-back () is initiated by a user () receiving a media stream (). The user () sets up a packet-based connection to a media server () and receives the media stream () from the media server (). After choosing by the user () to call back the caller (), the media server () generates a cookie with data defining a state of the media stream () and sends the cookie to the user (). The user () initiates the call-back () to the caller () independently of the media server (). After termination of the call-back (), the data defining the state of the media stream () are sent to the media server () or an associated media server and are used to resume the transmission of the media stream () to the user () from a state following the state defined by the data.

The invention concerns a method of providing an improved call forwarding service in a telecommunications network, and a network unit and a computer program product to execute this method. A call initiated by a caller () to a first callee () is consecutively forwarded, starting from the first callee (), to one or more further interlinked callees (), thereby forming a call forwarding chain (). A set of data is added to the call, the data comprising an identifier of each of the callees () involved in the call forwarding chain () and an address associated with a respective message memory () assigned to each of the callees () involved in the call forwarding chain (). When the call is forwarded to the message memory () assigned to a last callee () of the call forwarding chain (), the caller () is prompted to provide a message to be stored in one or more of the message memories (). From the set of data one or more of the addresses associated with the message memories () are retrieved. And the message received from the caller () is delivered to one or more of the message memories () by routing the message to the retrieved one or more addresses.

Growing community of inventors

Brest, France

Jean-Francois Rey